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John Peel's Record Box
thumb|300px|left|John Peel's Record Box - The Fall, etc thumb|200px||right|John Peel's Record Box - Pete Wylie A wooden box containing 142 singles was discovered among Peel's belongings after the DJ's death and subsequently became the subject of a Channel 4 documentary. This used the collection as a starting point to explore Peel's life and musical tastes, with comments from family, friends, musicians and colleagues. Although the records are portrayed as Peel's favourites and the box as being the last thing he would grab if his home were burning down, the selection doesn't include anything from favourite band the Fall, who had their own dedicated space in his record collection, long-time known favourite 45s like 'Peter Gunn' by Duane Eddy, or anything from personal musical heroes such as Roy Orbison. Wife Sheila Ravenscroft admits in the documentary she doesn't know why Peel chose to include some of the records. Many appear to have had particular associations, such as the Ken Colyer's Jazzmen EP featuring Lonnie Donegan and an Alan Price Set 45 that included long-time producer John Walters among the musicians. There are also ones that seem to reflect personal landmarks or particular memories, such as a 45 of the first record Peel ever bought (originally on a 78), 'Blue Tango' by Ray Martin & His Orchestra (see Peeling Back The Years. The box notably contained many singles either by or somehow related to The White Stripes. Son Tom Ravenscroft suggests, however, that this may have reflected the band's position as a current favourite and a year later the situation could have been completely different. Other features of the box include several singles that came out on the DJ's own Dandelion Records label, five different 45s by rockabilly star Charlie Feathers, a healthy dose of soul and reggae, particularly Lee Perry, and a number of cover records. As the programme makes clear, the box was a work in progress at the time of Peel's death. The complete documentary can be viewed on the page John Peel's Record Box (full programme, via YouTube). Doubles and Triples The box contained a number of doubles (also indicated in the full list below): *Charlie Feathers: Nobody's Woman / When You Decide *Don French: Lonely Saturday Night / Goldilocks *Golinski Brothers: Bloody / Toy *MC5: Looking At You / Borderline *Medicine Head: His Guiding Hand / This Love Of Old *Sheena Easton: 9 to 5 /Moody *Some Chicken: New Religion / Blood On The Wall *The Users: Sick On You / I'm In Love With Today *The White Stripes: Lord, Send Me an Angel / You're Pretty Good Looking *The White Stripes: The Big Three Killed My Baby / Red Rolling Ball Ruth Only one record, usually claimed by Peel to be his personal favourite, was represented three times: *The Undertones: Teenage Kicks Appearing on documentary Those appearing on the programme include wife Sheila Ravenscroft, son Tom (who was also involved in its production) and brother Alan; DJs Mary Anne Hobbs, Paul Gambaccini and Marc Riley; artists Elton John, Ronnie Wood (Faces), Roger Daltrey (Who), Fergal Sharkey (Undertones), Jack White (White Stripes), Mark E. Smith and Brixa Smith (Fall), Billy Bragg, Daman Albarn (Blur) and Pete Wylie (Wah!); plus schoolmate Michael Palin. The 142 Singles (Order and numbering system reflect lists that appeared in the British press and elsewhere at the time of broadcast. These may not be definitive and possible alternatives suggested elsewhere will be noted, along with additional details if available. Work on this is ongoing, so please feel free to add information.) 1. Al Casey: Surfin' Hootenanny / Easy Pickin (Pie International) 1963 2. Al Ferrier: I'm Not Drinking More / Don't Play Blue Eyes' (Master Trak) 1980 3. Alan Price Set: I Put a Spell on You / Lechyd-Da (Decca Records) 1966 *John Walters was member of band 4. Andy Capp / Reco: Popatop / The Lion Speaks (Treasure Island) 1969 5. The Anemic Boyfriends: Guys Are Not Proud / Bad Girls in Love (Red Sweater Records) 1980 6. Ann Peebles: I Can't Stand the Rain / I've been there before (London Records) 1972 7. Anti-Social: Traffic lights / Teacher, Teacher (Dynamite Records) 1977 8. Arthur K Adams: Wildwood Flower / It's A Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild Wildwood Glower (Jetstar) 1966 9. Big Stick Drag racing / Hell On Earth (Recess Records)1985 10. Bill Oddie: On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at / Harry Krishna (Dandelion Records) 1970 *The A side was a version of a traditional Yorkshire dialect folk song, rendered in the style of Joe Cocker's version of The Beatles' song With a Little Help from My Friends 11. Boards of Canada: Aquarius / Chinook (Skam Records) 1998 12. Bobby Lee Trammell If You Ever Get It Once / Don't You Know I Love You (Alley Records)1964 13. Cat Power: Headlights / Darling Said Sir (The Making of Americans) 1994 14. Charlie Feathers: Nobody's Darling / Deep Elm Blues (Holiday Inn Records) 1962 15. Charlie Feathers: Nobody's Woman / When You Decide (King Records) 1957 *Two copies 16. (as above) 17: Charlie Feathers: Wild Wild Party / Today And Tomorrow (Memphis Recordings) 1961 18. Charlie Feathers: Tongue-Tied Jill / Get With It (Meteor Records) 1956 19. Charlie Feathers: Too Much Alike / When You Come Around (King Records) 1957 20. Cheeze: Dancin With The Dead - Dancin Queen / Direwolf (Bob Records) 1989 21. Clague: The stride / I Wonder Where (Dandelion Records) 1969 22. Clefs of Lavender Hill: Stop! - Get A Ticket /First Tell Me Why (Date) 1966 23. Cleveland Crochet: Sugar Bee / Drunkards Dream (Goldband) 1960 24. Don Covay: It's Better To Have / Leave Him (Mercury) 1973 25. Don French: Lonely Saturday Night / Goldilocks (Quality) 1959 *Two copies 26. (as above) 27. Dreamland Express: Groovy / U.F.O. (EMI) 1980 28. Eazy Teeth: Car Noise / Her Blade (Dental Records) 1980 *One-off single featuring members of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. Cover artwork by the Captain. 29. Eddie & Ernie: I Believe She Will / We Try Harder (Chess) 1984 30. Eddie & Ernie: Outcast / I'm gonna always love you (Eastern) 1965 31. Eddie & Ernie: Time Waits For No One / That's The Way It Is (Eastern) 1964 32. Electro Hippies: Sheep / Starve The City (To Feed The Poor) / Meltdown / Escape / Deadend / Thought / Chickens / Mother / Mega-Armageddon Death (Strange Fruit) 1987 33. Elmore James: The Sky Is Crying / Standing At The Crossroads (Flashback Records) 1965 *Re-release of 1960 hit 34. Firemen: Old Smokie / Louie's Theme (Le Cam) 1964 *Le Cam, L 951 *Composers: Wait, Montgomery 35. Freshmen: You Never Heard Anything Like It / Bombing Run (Release Records) 1979 36. G.L. Crockett: It's A Man Down There / Every Hour, Every Day (4 Brothers) 1965 37. G.L. Crockett: Look out Mabel / Did you ever love somebody (Checker) 1965 *Re-release of alternate version 38. Geater Davis: For Your Precious Love / Wrapped Up In You (House of Orange) 1971 39. Gene Dozier & The United Front: Give The Women What They Want / The Best Girl I Ever Had (Mercury) 1974 40. Golinski Brothers: Bloody / Toy (Badge Records) 1980 *Two copies 41. (as above) 42. The Greenhornes: Shadow Of Grief / Stayed Up Last Night (Italy Records) 2000 *Featuring Jack White of the White Stripes 43. Hooton 3 Car: Danny /Numena (Rumblestrip Records) 1995 44. Idle Race: Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree / My Father's Son (Liberty) 1967 45: Izzy Royal: Coronation St / Coronation Dub (WEA) 1983 46. Jane Bond And The Undercover Men: Hot Rod Lincoln / Come On Up (Ear Movies Records) 1982 47. Jerry Byro: Memories Of Maria / Invitation (Monument) 1961 48. Jody Reynolds: Endless Sleep / Western Movies (Liberty) 1958 49. Johnnie Taylor: I've Been Born Again / At Night Time (Stax) 1974 50. Johnny Adams: You're A lady / I Wish It Would Rain (Atlantic) 1972 51. Johnny Fortune: Dragster / Soul Surfer (Sonet) 1964 52. Ken Colyer's Jazzmen: If I Ever Cease To Love You / Bucket Got A Hole In It / Wildcat Blues / Wabash Blues (Tempo Records)1953 *Lonnie Donegan on banjo 53. La Peste: Black / Better Off Dead (Black Records) 1978 54. Larry Bright: Mojo Workout / I'll Change My Ways (Tide) 1960 55. Laurie Anderson: O Superman / Walk the dog (One Ten Records) 1981 56. Lee Perry: Bafflin' Smoke Signal / Black Smoke Signal (Black Ark) 1978 57. Lightnin' Hopkins: Mojo Hand / Glory Be (Flashback Records) 1960 58. Marc Bolan: Marc Bolan talking to Stevie Dixon / Jennifer Sharp & Steve Ube & John Peel talking to Stevie Dixon (Pye Records) 1973 59. Mary Monday & Her Bitches: I Gave My Punk Jacket To Richie /Popgun (Malicious Productions) 1977 60. Max Romeo: Sipple Out Deh' /Revelation (Upsetter) 1976 * Lee Perry 61. MC5: Looking At You / Borderline (A-Square Records) 1968 *2 copies 62. (as above) 63. Medicine Head: Coast To Coast / All For Tomorrow (Dandelion Records) 1970 64. Medicine Head: His Guiding Hand / This Love Of Old (Dandelion Records) 1969 *Two copies 65. (as above) 66. Mel and Tim: Starting All Over Again / It Hurts To Want It So Bad (Stax) 1972 67. Maow: Kat Nip / One Night Stand / Anthem / Kill Kill Kill / Catastrophe / Boy Groupies (Twist Like This Records)1992 *Featuring Neko Case 68. Mickey Lee Lane: Tutti Frutti / With Your Love (Mala) 1968 69. Mike Spenser and The Cannibals: Good Guys / Nothing Takes The Place Of You (Big Cock Records) 1978 *B-side (cover of Toussaint McCall) preferred 70. Nice: The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack /Azrial (Angel of Death) (Immediate) 1967 71. Harry Nilsson: Without You / Gotta Get Up (RCA) 1971 72. Harry Nilsson: Everybody's Talkin' / Don't Leave Me (RCA) 1968 73. Harry Nilsson: Kojak Columbo / Turn Out The Light (RCA) 1975 74. O.V. Wright: That's How Strong My Love Is / There Goes My Used To Be (Goldwax) 1964 75. Paul Blake & The Blood Fire Posse: Every Posse Get Flat / Flat out (Studio Work) 1984 76. Paul Revere & The Raiders: Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be? /Legend Of Paul Revere (CBS) 1967 *A Perfumed Garden favourite, and an example of JP going against majority taste. Revere and the Raiders, who only enjoyed chart success in the USA, were considered a "plastic", manufactured group, the forerunners of The Monkees. Yet that didn't stop Peel from praising this record and featuring it alongside Love, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and other, "hipper" US bands of the time. 77. Pavement: Demolition Plot J-7: Forklift / Spizzle Trunk / Recorder Grot / Internal K-Dart / Perfect Depth / Recorder Grot (Drag City) 1990 78. Pocket Fishrmen: Yr Story /The Leader Is Burning (Noiseville) 1989 79. The Quads: There Must Be Thousands /You've Gotta Jive (Big Bear Records) 1979 *Often mistakenly listed with A and B sides reversed 80. Ray Martin: Blue Tango / Bell Of The Ball (Columbia Records) 1952 * As related on Peeling Back The Years, among other places, this was Peel's first-ever record purchase (and he hadn't heard the song for many years). Presumably this was a copy rather than the original. 81. Revelino: Step On High / Memoreason (Musicdisc) 1996 82. Rod Bernard: This Should Go On Forever / Pardon Mr. Gordon (Jin Records) or (Argo Records) 1958 83. Roshell Anderson: The Grapevine Will Lie Sometimes / Such A Beautiful Thing (Contempo) 1974 84. Roy Head: Treat Her Right / So Long, My Love (Vocalion) 1965 85. Sam & Dave: I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down / Soothe Me (live) (Stax) 1996 86. Sasha Caro: Grade 3 Section 2 / Little Maid's Song (Decca Records) 1967 87. Scrugg: Will The Real Geraldine Please Stand Up And Be Counted / Only George (Pie) 1969 88. Sheena Easton: 9 to 5 /Moody (EMI) 1980 *Two copies 89. (as above) 90. Sipho Bhengu: Tickey Dopies / I Saluti (Inkonkoni) 1971 91. Soledad Brothers: Sugar & Spice / Johnny's Death Letter (Italy Records) 1998 *With Jack White 92. Some Chicken: New Religion / Blood On The Wall (Raw Records) 1977 *Two copies, #16 in Peel's self-chosen 1977 Festive Fifty 93. (as above) 94. Spit Out: O From I / Tan / Rot'n'roll' (Ma Frog Records) 1996 95. Stanley Winston No More Ghettos In America / It's Alright (Jewel) 1970 96. Status Quo: Down Down / Night Ride (Vertigo) 1974 97. Supersister: No Tree Will Grow / She Was Naked (Dandelion Records) 1971 98. The Beatles: Come Together / Octopus's Garden / Something (Melodica) 1969 *USSR release 99. The Big Three: You've Gotta Keep Her Under Hand / If You Ever Change Your Mind (Decca Records) 1964 *Peel heard this track during his American radio years. Later, having left his record collection behind when he returned from California, he asked his Perfumed Garden listeners (on air) and readers (in his International Times column) to send him a copy. 100. The Buzzcocks: Ever Fallen In Love / Just Lust (United Artists) 1978 101. The Factory: Path Through The Forest / Gon (MGM) 1968 102. The Galactic Symposium: Y.M.C.A. / Money (Vague Records) 1978 103. The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Name Dropper part 1 / The Great Name Dropper part 2 (Amy Records) 2000 104. The Mark Four: Hurt Me If You Will / I'm Leaving (Decca Records) 1965 105. The Mighty Avengers: So Much In Love / Something They Say (Decca Records) 1964 106. The Misunderstood: I Can Take You To The Sun / Who do you love (Fontana) 1966 107. The Move: I Can Hear The Grass Grow / Wave The Flag And Stop The Train (Deram) 1967 108. The Negatives: Love Is Not Real / Stakeout (Look) 1979 109. The Nightcaps: Wine Wine Wine / Nightcap Rock (Musicor) 1959 110. The Ramrods: Zig Zag / Riders In The Sky (London American) 1960 111. The Smoke: My Friend Jack / We Can Take It (Columbia Records) 1966 112. The Squirrels: Oz On 45 / Alone Again (Popllama Prod) 1988 113. The Undertones: Teenage Kicks / True Confessions / Smarter Than U / Emergency Cases (Good Vibrations) 1978 *Three copies of Peel's favourite record. As shown on the programme, one was the original sent with a letter from the band. 114. (as above) 115. (as above) 116. The Upholsterers: Makers Of High Grade Suites / I Ain't Superstitious / Pain (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 2000 *Featuring Jack White of the White Stripes 117. The Upsetters: Bucky Skank / Yucky Skank (Down Town) 1973 118. The Upsetters: Key Card / Domino Game (DL International) 1975 119. The Users: Sick On You / I'm In Love With Today (Raw Records) 1977 *Two copies, #37 in Peel's self-chosen 1977 Festive Fifty 120. (as above) 121. The Versalites: Cutting Razor / Black Belt Jones (DL International) 1974 122. The White Stripes: Lafayette Blues / Sugar Never Tasted So Good (Italy Records) 1998 123. The White Stripes: Party of Special Things To Do / China Pig /Ashtray Heart (Sub Pop) 2000 *Captain Beefheart covers 124. The White Stripes: Merry Christmas From The White Stripes: Candy Cane Children / The Reading Of The Story Of The Magi, The Singing Of Silent Night (XL Recordings) 2002 125. The White Stripes: It Takes Two, Baby / Fell In Love With A Girl (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 2001 126. The White Stripes: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground /Stop Breaking Down (XL Recordings) 2002 127. The White Stripes / The Dirtbombs: Hand Springs /Cedar Pointe ’76 (Extra-Ball Records)1999 *For Multiball Magazine, 2000 pieces, rarity 128. The White Stripes: Hotel Yorba (Live at the Hotel Yorba) / Rated X (XL Recordings) 2001 129. The White Stripes: Lord, Send Me an Angel / You're pretty good looking (Trendy American Remix) (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 2002 *Two copies 130. (as above) 131. The White Stripes: Hello Operator / Jolene (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 2000 132. The White Stripes: The Big Three Killed My Baby / Red Rolling Ball Ruth (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 1999 *2 copies 133. (as above) 134. The Hentchmen: Some Other Guy / Psycho Daisies (Italy Records) 1997 * Featuring Jack White of the White Stripes 135. 2 Star Tabernacle featuring Andre Williams: Lily White Mama And Jet Black Daddy / Ramblin’ man (Bloodshot Records) 1998 *Cover photo by Jack White. Ramblin' man is cover of Hank Williams. 136. The Wildbunch: Danger (High Voltage) / Neurocameraman / She's Guatemala (Flying Bomb Records) 2001 *Jack White backing vocals 137. The White Stripes / Rocket 455 / The Blowtops: (EP - Surprise Package Vol 2) Candy Cane Children / Santa Ain't Coming For Christmas / Sidewalk Santa (Flying Bomb Records) 1998 138. The Dirtbombs / MHz / The Real Pills: (EP - Surprise Packaage Vol 3) My Last Xmas / Secret Santa / It's Almost December (Flying Bomb Records) 2000 139. Travis Wammack: Fire Fly / Scratchy (ARA) 1964 * B-Side preferred 140. XL-Capris: My City Of Sydney / Dead Bugies (Axle) 1980 141. Yami Bolo: Richer Than Cory / Richer Than Cory (version) (Jamaica International) 1998 142. Yardbirds: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago / Psycho Daisies (Columbia Records) 1966 See also *My Top Ten *Desert Island Discs *Peeling Back The Years External links * ILM notice board thread * John Peel's Record Box blog * The Making Of John Peel's Record Box * Pop: Keeping it Peel. In: The Sunday Times, October 23 2005 (online Sunday Times article) * Times Online * Independent preview * Paul Morley's Guardian review * IMDB * A review by Laurence Upton Category:TV